Three Modes of Evolution by Natural Selection and Drift: A New or an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis? (original) (raw)
Abstract
According to sources both in print and at a recent meeting, evolutionary theory is currently undergoing change which some would characterize as a New Synthesis, and others as an Extended Synthesis. This article argues that the important changes involve recognizing that there are three means by which evolutionary change can be initiated (genetically, ecologically, and developmentally) and three corresponding modes of evolutionary drift. It compares the three and goes on to discuss the scale of innovation and extended or inclusive and Lamarckian inheritance. It concludes from these that “new trends in evolutionary biology” are in part a new, and in part an extended evolutionary synthesis.
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Notes
- Numbering all of the entries available online (Royal Society 2016) from 1 to 24 in order, one is missing an abstract and two others are roundtables (numbers 12, 16, and 24) leaving 21 abstracts. Those 21 abstracts are almost evenly divided between those that say nothing directly on the new or extended question (nine abstracts—numbers 3, 5, 9, 10, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 21) and those that express some direct opinion (12 abstracts—numbers 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 20, 22, and 23). Of the 12 that express some direct opinion, two managed to stay right on the midline (numbers 1 and 22), seven are on the new side (numbers 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 23) and three are on the extended side (2, 4, and 20). However, examining the rest of the content of the abstracts summarizing what the authors actually planned to say in the talks, of the nine who express no direct opinion, it is obvious that seven of them are on the new side as well (numbers 3, 5, 9, 10, 15, 18, and 21) while only two remain ambiguous (numbers 17 and 19) which makes for a total of 14/21 or two-thirds that think something major is afoot in “new trends in evolutionary biology.”
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Authors and Affiliations
- Department of Sociology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Marion Blute
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Correspondence toMarion Blute.
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Blute, M. Three Modes of Evolution by Natural Selection and Drift: A New or an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis?.Biol Theory 12, 67–71 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-017-0264-8
- Received: 23 February 2017
- Accepted: 15 March 2017
- Published: 07 April 2017
- Issue date: June 2017
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-017-0264-8